Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, the homeland of samurais and the first android robots – this gem of our civilization has been living its quiet, measured life for many centuries. Nevertheless, this doesn’t stop Japan from being one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.
What may still seem novel to most countries is old news for the typical Japanese citizen, who doesn’t even pay attention to it. AdmiGram.com is fascinated by this amazing country and will prove to everyone that Japanese everyday life is far ahead of its time.
Japan: the world of technology that surpassed time
© Kenny Kuo / Unsplash
Japan holds the record for the number of natural disasters. Therefore, in case of various natural disasters like earthquakes, special “emergency bags” with various essentials such as flashlights, dried food, respirators, and more began to appear in vending machines in the 90s.
© Sarah-Rose / Flickr
By the way, the streets, train stations, and other public places in Japanese cities are equipped with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) systems. In case of heart failure or irregularities, there’s no need to wait for an ambulance; every Japanese student can use a defibrillator and provide first aid.
© Beni Arnold / Flickr
Japan was one of the first countries to start sorting and recycling garbage. That’s why the country is now the cleanest in the world. As early as the early 2000s, they classified garbage into categories like combustible waste, non-combustible waste, plastic, glass bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, paper, bulky waste, and more.
© RAF_OK_JP / YouTube
And when it comes to plastic, you could even use it to pay for subway or train rides. Very convenient. Buy a carbonated drink or water, and by inserting it into a special vending machine, you’d receive a token for fare payment. For Japan’s nearest neighbors, the Chinese, this option only became available ten years later, in 2012.
Since 2007, with the aim of urging drivers to observe speed limits, special road sections with distinctive grooves in the asphalt began to appear on Japanese roads. When driving over them at the correct speed, the driver and passengers would hear specific pleasant and soothing melodies.
© one-11 / Flickr
And back when we didn’t even know what an iPhone was, the Japanese and their neighbors in South Korea were using the most unusual phones. Models with built-in breathalyzers were particularly popular. Parents bought such phones to exert even stricter control over their not yet fully grown children.
In general, the Japanese love all sorts of technological gadgets. Even now, when neurobrain technologies remain an insurmountable mystery for most countries in the world, the Japanese were already releasing amazing gadgets back in 2012. For example, cat ears and tails that could sense the owner’s mood and react accordingly.
© SlipStreamJC / Flickr
And the stories about Japanese toilets have long been legendary. They are not just some porcelain fixtures but real high-tech devices. Even in the 90s, they had heated seats, infrared sensors with automatic water flushing, adjustable water pressure for hygiene, hygienic air drying, various sounds for ‘meditation,’ and so on. And all of this was in regular public restrooms.
And when in 2005 we were amazed by the wonder robot-dog from Boston Dynamics, Japan had long been working on projects to introduce nurse robots for the sick, elderly, and people with disabilities. Hello, Elon Musk!
© Megapixie (Max Smith) / Wikipedia
By the way, despite the common belief that Japanese people never relax, they have an answer to that. In the early 90s, recreational centers in the form of indoor water parks began to appear in major cities. In these artificial oases, you could sunbathe, swim, and even surf. It was like being at the best resorts in the world!
image on top: Possessed Photography / Unsplash
